[Randy Cates]

I was hoping someone could suggest a way to have a gradient control the fractal noise. I thought of that (as well as the block dissolve transition with a controlling gradient).

I’m trying to get that “digital” feel you get with the block dissolve rather than have the squares flip. Unless I’m missing something in card wipe.

Thanks for the reply.
R.Cates

[Randy Cates]

You might try using the Mr Mercury (Effect/Simulation/CC Mr Mercury). It has a kind of rounded edge mercury (liquid) effect that you can control. It might resemble liquid sucking into the hole revealing the next clip undernieth.

[Randy Cates]

Actually I just wanted the octagons to scale up and down instead of the circles that fade in and out. I “think” I can figure this out based on what you gave me.

If I’m correct I’ll just dupe the circle project, swap out the cricles for octagons, dump the expression for opacity and use the expression for scale. Sound about right?

[Randy Cates]

Actually I just wanted the octagons to scale up and down instead of the circles that fade in and out. I “think” I can figure this out based on what you gave me.

If I’m correct I’ll just dupe the circle project, swap out the cricles for octagons, dump the expression for opacity and use the expression for scale. Sound about right?

[Randy Cates]

If you have Invigorator you could create the arms in 3D, line them up as a real typewriter and padjust the pivot point. Render each one once (in and out) with motion blur and then these in random order to get the effect you want.

[Randy Cates]

These are all great suggestions but seems like a lot of work. Have you considered card dance? It lets you work in three D space with multiple clips (based on a grid size you determine) the clips can all converge and can come together in x, y and Z space and can each be a different clip or image. Check out https://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e.html . Japanese guy who has a slew of great work. The tutorials more or less just point you in the direction rather than step by step but any seasoned AE animator can figure out where he’s going. Hope this isn’t too late.

[Randy Cates]

These are all great suggestions but seems like a lot of work. Have you considered card dance? It lets you work in three D space with multiple clips (based on a grid size you determine) the clips can all converge and can come together in x, y and Z space and can each be a different clip or image. Check out https://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e.html . Japanese guy who has a slew of great work. The tutorials more or less just point you in the direction rather than step by step but any seasoned AE animator can figure out where he’s going. Hope this isn’t too late.

[Randy Cates]

Colin,
Everything is working like a charm (thanks). After seeing this work (exactly as I’d hoped) I started thinking it would be cool to create an octagon (simulating a camera shutter), put it in a 8 frame comp, make it animate from 0% to 100% in 3 frms, 100% to 0% in 5 and then swap this comp with the circular layer and get the same effect but with a scale up and down during the 8 frames that each cirlce is visible.

What I’m getting (obviously) is an 8 frame layer (comp) that clearly can’t go random through the duration of a 30 sec animation bed. I’ve played around with some expression settings but don’t understand them enough (yet) to have much success. I’d like to get the start of the octagonal comp to coinside with the start of each randomly placed, scaled and “poped” circular layer.

I thought it would just be a matter of adjusting the scale values but I want to maintain the sm, med, lrg values that exist while having each octagon play it’s little 8 frame animation when they are visible. If you have time is this something that isn’t too diificult (for a seasoned expressionist)?

[Randy Cates]

Colin,
Everything is working like a charm (thanks). After seeing this work (exactly as I’d hoped) I started thinking it would be cool to create an octagon (simulating a camera shutter), put it in a 8 frame comp, make it animate from 0% to 100% in 3 frms, 100% to 0% in 5 and then swap this comp with the circular layer and get the same effect but with a scale up and down during the 8 frames that each cirlce is visible.

What I’m getting (obviously) is an 8 frame layer (comp) that clearly can’t go random through the duration of a 30 sec animation bed. I’ve played around with some expression settings but don’t understand them enough (yet) to have much success. I’d like to get the start of the octagonal comp to coinside with the start of each randomly placed, scaled and “poped” circular layer.

I thought it would just be a matter of adjusting the scale values but I want to maintain the sm, med, lrg values that exist while having each octagon play it’s little 8 frame animation when they are visible. If you have time is this something that isn’t too diificult (for a seasoned expressionist)?

[Randy Cates]

Wow what a response. Thanks Colin. As for the create a solid and use a mask to create the circle. I opted to just import a PICT file with a soft circular alpha channel. Am I correct in assuming this doesn’t change anything in the expressions?

Also yes “pop in” was the 3 frm in 5 frm out “soft cut.” If you study a flashing light it is in the range of 3 in 5 out but visually appears to cut in and out. I’m trying to “graphically” suggest a bunch of flash bulbs but not realistic, graphic. Kind of a retro thing going on.

Thanks again. Gotta get going with this.